Happy September! It's time for August's monthly report. See past reports here.

I've been really enjoying my little cutting garden that I planted on the side of our garage this year. It gets some afternoon sun, but not a lot. I wasn't sure how well things would do, so I have been pleasantly surprised to have flowers inside all summer!


At the beginning of the month was our annual cabin weekend in Wisconsin, I chatted about it a little bit in last month's report. I came prepared with lots of projects and I actually got through everything I brought a little over halfway through! I finished my pineapple log cabin quilt top (!!), plus made a workshop tote, drawstring bag, and a pair of pillowcases. I've made so many drawstring bags this month, I'm going to share those in a dedicated post next week!

You can read more about my pineapple log cabin quilt in this post here: Scrappy Pineapple Quilt in Progress


I finally started stitching my holiday quilt! I started cutting strips for this quilt last Fall but ran out of steam (and fabrics that matched). I collected a few more prints throughout the year and this month I cut up the rest of the strips and started sewing a few blocks. I'm using Ashley's two by four quilt tutorial. It's been fun to work on!


This is one of the pillowcases I made at cabin weekend this year! I used a Cotton & Steel lawn for the body and a lawn solid for the cuff. I love making pillowcases, especially from lawn or voile, so smooth! I used this tutorial when I make mine: Roll it Up Pillowcase Free Pattern


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I track my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track here. Here is how I did in August:

August Fabric
Used up: 37.75 yards
Brought in: 16.75 yards
Net: -26 yards
Year to date: -70.25 yards

August Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: -426 yards

I brought it more fabric this month than the other 7 months in the year combined! But almost all of it was from the fabric sharing table at our cabin weekend. We all bring fabrics, notions, books etc that we no longer want/need to share with one another. It's always so fun to see what everyone makes with your stuff! Thankfully, I offset all that intake by sharing a bunch of fabric too, plus making a bunch this month. Aiming for a lower month in September!


Over Labor day weekend we mixed up an indigo dye vat! We picked up a couple t-shirts that Michael wanted to dye and I dyed a little yardage. I want to make a lawn indigo dyed quilt, so I dyed two random white lawn cuts I had laying around. Planning to do a little more dyeing this weekend too.

If you're interested in Indigo Dyeing: Indigo Dyeing Tutorial


We finally took the time to check out some local beaches in August. We definitely haven't been taking advantage of how close we are to the water. Our favorite that we visited was the Hammonasset Beach State Park. We went in the morning and it was so peaceful. Looking forward to going back soon.


George the boo! He is still going through his Summer shedding, so it's been extra fiber and pets for him lately. He is such a sweetheart.

Have a Great Month!

June Monthly Report

Happy July! It's time for June's monthly report. See past reports here.


Early in the month I drove home to Ohio and spent a week with family. We squeezed a lot into this trip, including a trip down to Columbus to visit with my Aunt and Brother. Stopped in at Jeni's ice cream while we were there!


Every month we're here, I've sewn a little bit more. I finished this pillow last month for my friend Amanda's birthday. Now that she's received it, I can share! I made one block from my Webbed pattern using Lizzy House fabrics along with some linen. I'm happy with how it turned out, and she loved it. Mission accomplished!


I can't quite wrap my head around the open empty space that we have here. After being so cramped in our tiny apartment for six years, having enough room to baste a quilt is unbelievable. Since taking this photo I finished my vintage sheet four patch quilt. I'm hoping to get some photos of it this weekend.


We bought some outdoor furniture a few weeks ago and have been wasting no time breaking it in. This past weekend Michael smoked ribs, so I brought my singer featherweight outside and worked on my scrappy pineapple blocks.


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I'm tracking my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track my here. Here is how I did in June:

June Fabric
Used up: 11.75 yards
Brought in: 7.5 yards
Net: -4.25 yards
Year to date: +19 yards

June Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: +218 yards

The end of the month seems to be when I am most susceptible to buying fabric! I hadn't bought any until the 29th. I checked out a new-to-me shop and picked up some goodies. No yarn activity this month, but I am knitting again! So maybe in July?


I finished my wonderland log cabin blocks, and they're now sewn into a top! Plus, I made a scrappy backing too, so it's ready for basting. Really looking forward to getting this quilt crossed off my list.


Played out a few variation ideas for my lined drawstring bag pattern. I think the result is pretty darn cute! Looking forward to experimenting more.


George bunny says hello. He's at the tail end of his big yearly shed, so he's extra fuzzy right now!

Have a great month!

October Monthly Report

Happy November! It's time for October's monthly report. See past reports here.


So, for the past three weeks we've been traveling. This included time at home in Ohio, a much needed vacation to the beach (Captiva Island, FL), and a short trip to our new state...Connecticut! We spent a whirlwind few days in our new city of New Haven finding a place to live and getting a quick look around. We're moving sometime in early/mid December, so we are in major moving prep mode now that we're back in Madison. It's been pretty stressful, but it feels like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel which is good.

To lighten the crafty load, I'll be having a big moving destash of fabric/yarn and a sample sale this month. I'll post here with more details soon.


Finished up my house quilt last month, see the block tutorial for this quilt here. Will share the finish soon!


It was a quilty month! Finished and shared my Halloween Nine Patch Quilt this month. Just in time for Halloween.


And finally, shared my finished Harvest Log Cabin Quilt (and tutorial) this past month! Yay for quilts!


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I'm tracking my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track my here. Here is how I did in October:

October Fabric
Used up: 27.25 yards
Brought in: 6 yards
Net: -21.25 yards
Year to date: -178.25 yards

October Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: -3731.5 yards

I'm really pleased with how much I was able to get done this month, especially considering I was away from my sewing room from the 17th until the end of the month. I kept the incoming fabric down and managed to finish two quilts!


I think we can pretty much breeze past the goal section from now on. I am not expecting to be able to work towards too many of my crafty goals the rest of the year. I'm sad that I haven't been able to make more progress, but know it will be easier next year once we are settled again.

I'm sure no one is surprised that I organized the shells I picked up on vacation by type and then size or color. Not all of these came home with us, but I love shelling. My favorite beach activity!


Love this snapshot of George, who took a nap on his log. :)

Have a Great Month!

December 2016 Report

It's time for one last monthly report for 2016, December! See past reports here.


Most of December was spent getting ready for our annual trek to Ohio and Maryland for the holidays. There was lots of gift sewing and knitting, which I will share next week finally! I also tend to make lots of sweet treats. This year I wanted to try making royal icing. I purchased an e-course from The Alison Show called Alison's Cookie Party. It was really helpful, and while we definitely need some practice, our first try was a success!


I packed my tiniest drawstring bag full of quarters to play claw games at the turnpike rest area's but was sadly unsuccessful this year. There aren't games in most of the stops this year, so I only had one chance to play. Oh well, maybe next time!


We were super excited to get to see the Cavs play on Christmas Day in Cleveland! It was a first, and an amazing game. They won by one point!!


Before we left for Ohio, I stitched up four laundry sized drawstring bags to wrap some large gifts in. They are so handy for that, and they eat up a lot of stash, which is good.


I've knit a lot in the past few months, but have been unable to talk about it because it was mostly gift knitting. I did squeeze in time to knit up a new pair of mittens for Michael. His other pair are convertible and worsted weight. For our cold winters he really needed another pair that was heavier, so I knit up this simple pattern in bulky weight yarn. More info on my Ravelry.


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I'm tracking my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track my here. Here is how I did in December:

December Fabric
Used up: 19 yards
Brought in: 15 yards
Net: -4 yards
Year to date: -250.375 yards

December Yarn
Used up: 848 yards
Brought in: 1440 yards
Net: +592 yards
Year to date: +2494 yards

Another month in the negative on fabric! I did buy more than I intended, but I let myself buy a quilt backing and a few other goodies. All those drawstring bags I made this month helped keep me in the negative, along with a lawn Emery Dress. I did a lot of gift sewing this month, I'm excited to share all those projects now that they have been received! I totally binged on yarn this month. We visited one of my favorite yarn shops, The Knot House while we were in Maryland, and Michael's parents gave me a gift certificate for Christmas. What was I supposed to do? :)


Other than working towards my fabric stash goal, I didn't make much progress towards my goals this month. I'm looking forward to getting back to all of that in January. I will be sharing my 2017 goals later this week!


Two George photos this month. Here is George's Christmas photo. He looks pretty miffed about being in that basket!


And one more of fuzzy bunny George. Getting all the pets, of course.

Have a great month!

June Catch-up

Happy Weekend! I wanted a do a bit of a catch-up post, since things have been pretty quiet around here lately! I just got back from two weeks in Ohio with my family. I had really good intentions about blogging while I was away, but it didn't exactly happen! Michael and I drove home the week of the 6th, and then he flew back that following weekend. I stayed longer for a pretty important reason...

We had fun experimenting with my new blow torch making crème brûlée. Our favorite recipe was this one, but we subbed half the cream with half and half.


THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WON AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP! We went home in part to go to the Finals home games, and I stayed until the series was over. It was the perfect Father's Day gift for my Dad, I don't know how we're going to top it next year! I grew up and went to college in the Cleveland area, and my Dad and I have been going to games together since 2003. I'm so happy for my city and state! Yay!


Since I was staying for so long, I brought my sewing machine with me. My Mom and I set up shop on their long farm table and sewed off and on while I was there. I got caught up on my double wedding ring wedges, finished a quilt top, bound two quilts, plus a few other things. I stitched up a big artist size drawstring bag (from the pattern version), to hold some special stuffed animals from my childhood. Of course I had to use my favorite print from Dreamin' Vintage.


I also had a chance to sew up some heart blocks for #quiltsforpulse. The Orlando Modern Quilt Guild is collecting blocks, quilt tops, and finished quilts to be donated to the victims and families of the shooting at Pulse in Orlando earlier this month. I made a rainbow of blocks using Alison Harris's heart block tutorial. Learn more about their efforts and how to help here.


More news from this month, my teaching home and local fabric shop The Sewcial Lounge is closing their doors. I'm sad, but I know that it is what's best for Sara and her family. It's definitely bittersweet! For locals, tomorrow is their last day open, they'll be there from 10am-2pm. You can also shop their Etsy shop and save 40% with code "LASTCALL" here: thesewciallounge.etsy.com. They'll be adding more items next week so keep an eye on it!


Of course my Mom and I did plenty of thrifting and antiquing while I was home! I was over the moon to find one of my very favorite vintage sheets new in the package for $5! That little metal set of drawers is going to hold my machine needles and bobbins! The shelf is an Ohio berry box that someone added shelves too which is cool! I love using big towels in the kitchen, and those two-tone ones are my favorite. Happy to add a couple more to my stash!


It's wild black raspberry season here! Woohoo!


Since crème brûlée uses only egg yolks, we ended up with lots of leftover egg whites. So what else is there to do except bake angelfood cake? It's the perfect way to enjoy strawberry season. I learned to make it using my friend Deedrie's angelfood primer. Beyond the recipe, she shares lots of great tips!


Blackie was a complete quilt-cat while I was home. Anytime I set down a quilt, she made a beeline for it. I have five or so photos of her on this quilt over the course of my visit. She appreciates the softness of vintage sheet quilts!


And let's end this super long post with a George photo! He came with us, and stayed with me. He loves running around at home, because he can go under the bed. It's pretty much the best thing ever in George's opinion!

Have a great weekend!

May 2016 Report

I feel like I say this every month, but I can't believe how quickly May flew by! I didn't end up posting nearly as much as I would have liked, but it happens. I think I used up all my blog energy for the month writing this post. I am grateful for the support and understanding, it was really scary putting it out there.


In May I found myself traveling to Upper Michigan to help Holly sew with her first fabric collection with Cloud 9, Brushstrokes. We got a lot done in a short weekend! Make sure and check her Instagram for her beautiful Quilt Market display!


At the end of May, it was finally time for a trip to Nashville! Jacey flew in and we spent the weekend with Amanda and her sweet girls. I ended up driving, but split the drive both ways to make it a little easier. We went to the zoo (highly recommended!), spent a day sewing together, ate lots of delicious food, and even played Exploding Kittens!


I finally finished a knitting project, my Citadel hat! I hadn't finished anything since January, so it felt good to get something off the needles.


To keep myself accountable I'm tracking my yardage for both yarn and fabric. Here is how I did in May:

May Fabric
Used up: 19.375 yards
Brought in: 19.625 yards
Net: +.25 yards
Year to date: +18.125 yards

May Yarn
Used up: 390 yards
Brought in: 1466 yards
Net: +1076 yards
Year to date: +337 yards

I feel okay about how I did with my yardage this month. I did finally buy some yarn, but it was worth it. One of my favorite local yarn shops, the Wisconsin Craft Market, started stocking Hedgehog Fibres Sock and Twist Sock, which is super exciting. I've never been able to get my hands on any, so I bought a few skeins. On the fabric front, I visited a few destination shops: Craft South, Hancocks of Paducha, and Quilt in a Day. To be able to only net 1/4 yard seems like a win! The majority of May's yardage is two quilt backgrounds worth and a couple garment cuts. Will hopefully make more of a dent this month!


On my other goals, I pretty much had an epic fail this month. I didn't touch my double wedding ring wedges. I didn't sew any new garment patterns. I did get four quilt tops put together, backings made, and sent off to be quilted. I sewed nine blocks for my vintage sheet scrappy trip quilt. I worked on gift sewing, and made a few other things here and there.

I'm disappointed to admit that I fell off the wagon with my Project 365 too, completely. It be honest I had to fudge a day in April, so it was already in danger.


On a happier note, look how cute George is! :)

Happy May!